Beneath the Surface

For five years, she had adored every inch of her husband, Nathan. He was everything she’d ever wanted: charming, attentive, and loving. But lately, something had changed. It started small—odd behaviors, brief moments when his gaze seemed to darken, as if he were somewhere else entirely. She brushed it off at first, blaming work stress or lack of sleep. But one night, everything shifted.

It was late, around 2 a.m., when Samantha woke to find Nathan missing from their bed. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock, assuming he had gone to the kitchen for water. Quietly, she slipped out of bed and padded down the hall, but when she reached the kitchen, she froze. Nathan was standing in the dark, whispering into his phone.

Samantha leaned closer, careful to stay hidden behind the wall. “I told you not to call here,” Nathan growled, his voice low and menacing. The voice on the other end was muffled, but unmistakably female.

Her heart sank. Cheating? Nathan? The idea was ridiculous, but what else could explain the secrecy? Samantha clutched the wall, trying to keep her breath steady. But just as she prepared to step back, Nathan spoke again.

"She has no idea," he said. "I’ve kept it hidden this long."

Samantha’s stomach flipped. Who was he talking about? And what had he hidden? She quickly retreated to their bedroom, her mind racing. She had never doubted Nathan’s love for her, but this—this was something else entirely. A secret that ran deeper than an affair.

The next few days were unbearable. Nathan seemed distant, his once warm eyes cold and calculating. Samantha tried to act normal, but the suspicion gnawed at her. One night, when Nathan left for a supposed “late work meeting,” Samantha decided she couldn’t wait any longer. She needed answers.

She followed him.

Staying far behind, Samantha tailed Nathan as he drove to the edge of town. The familiar streets gave way to a dense forest, and Nathan’s car eventually disappeared down a narrow, dirt path. Her pulse quickened as she parked and continued on foot, the trees closing in around her like silent witnesses. At the end of the path, there stood an old, abandoned house, its windows shattered, and the roof half-collapsed. But it was the faint glow inside that drew her closer.

She crept up to the window, her heart pounding in her chest. Inside, Nathan stood with a group of people. They weren’t talking—they were chanting. In unison. The air felt thick, heavy, and wrong.

Samantha’s blood turned to ice. What the hell was this?

As she watched, Nathan’s body began to change—his skin darkened, and his eyes glowed a deep, fiery red. His once familiar features twisted into something…inhuman. Samantha’s breath caught in her throat as she stumbled backward, desperate to escape before she was seen. Her husband—"her Nathan"—wasn’t human. He was something else. Something dark.

That night, she didn’t sleep. The image of Nathan’s transformation burned into her mind. How long had he been hiding this? Who—or what—was he?

The next morning, Nathan was back to his usual self, greeting her with a kiss and a smile as if nothing had happened. But now, everything felt wrong. Every glance, every touch, every laugh seemed like a lie. Samantha felt trapped in her own home, married to a man she didn’t know.

But the worst was yet to come.

Determined to uncover the truth, Samantha began searching through Nathan’s belongings. She needed proof—something to confirm what she had seen wasn’t a nightmare. In the attic, hidden beneath a loose floorboard, she found an old, leather-bound book. The pages were filled with strange symbols, drawings of grotesque creatures, and spells written in a language she didn’t understand. But there, scrawled on the final page, was a name she recognized—hers.

Samantha’s hands shook as she read the cryptic entry. Her heart raced as she pieced together the horrifying truth: Nathan hadn’t just been hiding who he was—he had been preparing her for something. For what, she couldn’t yet fully comprehend. But one thing was clear: this wasn’t about an affair. It was something much darker.

Confrontation wasn’t an option. Not yet. She needed more time to understand what she was up against. But one night, Nathan came home early. Too early.

Samantha, panicked, didn’t have time to hide the book she had been studying. Nathan’s eyes landed on it the moment he stepped into the room, and his smile faltered. The air grew thick with tension as he slowly approached her.

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” Nathan whispered, his voice unnaturally calm.

Samantha backed away, her pulse quickening. “Who—what are you?” she demanded, her voice shaking.

Nathan’s eyes darkened, that same eerie glow she had seen in the forest flickering within them. He stepped closer, his expression unreadable. “I’m still your husband, Samantha,” he said, his voice smooth. “But I’m more than that. I’ve always been more.”

Terror gripped her as the reality of her situation set in. This man—this thing—had been deceiving her for years. And now, she was caught in his web, unsure of how deep his secrets truly ran.

Nathan’s lips curled into a smile, one that sent chills down her spine. “You’re part of this now,” he said softly. “Whether you like it or not.”

As she stared into his glowing eyes, Samantha realized that her once-perfect marriage had been built on lies—terrifying, dark lies. But what scared her most wasn’t what she had uncovered—it was what Nathan had yet to reveal.

And in that moment, she knew: this was only the beginning:

In the shadows of her once-happy life, Samantha was no longer certain if she was Nathan’s wife… or his next victim.